Don’t Be Your Own Worst Enemy on the Road

There’s a lot of danger out on the road. Every time you’re getting behind the wheel, you’re taking a chance! But like with everything else that involves taking a chance, while you can’t eliminate the risk completely, you can at least reduce the chances. While there are many people out there who think other drivers are the problem, studies have shown that most people believe themselves to be an above-average driver (but remember…this can’t be true for everyone!). In many cases, our worst enemy on the roads isn’t someone else; it’s us. Below, we take a look at a few ways you can make yourself a friend on the road. They’re all common sense approaches, but many people do forget them, and put themselves and others in danger.

Correct Your Bad Habits

It’s possible that the time when you have the best technique behind the wheel is when you first pass your test. Over time, all those correct methods of driving slowly give way to our own bad habits. Many of us make errors that could lead to an accident, and we don’t even realise it! So take a look at how you’re driving. Is it really as flawless as you think it is? If you don’t trust yourself to give yourself an honest appraisal, ask a friend. They’ll tell you the truth.

Basic Road Safety

The roads can be dangerous enough. We don’t need to make them even more dangerous, yet that’s just what thousands of people do each year. There’s a reason why drinking alcohol and driving is against the law. So do yourself a favor, and vow that you’ll never get behind the wheel after you’ve been drinking. Just because you feel fine to drive, that doesn’t mean you are! If you do drink and drive, you can end up in jail, or have to complete one of your local DIP courses, or worse. There’s nothing to be gained from driving when you have alcohol in your system, but there’s much to be lost.

No Distractions

Our cars are more than just vehicles to get us from A to B. They’re full-on entertainment systems, in some cases at least. While there’s much to be said for driving with your favorite driving music on, you should never attempt to find the right track while you’re moving. The same, of course, goes for texting, too. There’s no message in the world that’s so important that you need to risk the lives of the people in your car and others. Wait until you’re pulled over to focus on your devices.

Car Maintenance

Your car may be reliable, but it’s not invincible. Even the most trustworthy vehicles are going to give you trouble from time to time. Your duty, as a car owner, is to stay on top of maintenance, and make sure that there’s nothing that might cause problems when you’re driving. It’s much better to be proactive with these things rather than wait for things to go wrong when you’re zipping along the highway.